ORLANDO, FL - OCTOBER 26: Casey Cochran #12 of the Connecticut Huskies attempts a pass during the game against the UCF Knights at Bright House Networks Stadium on October 26, 2013 in Orlando, Florida.

ORLANDO, FL - OCTOBER 26: Casey Cochran #12 of the Connecticut Huskies attempts a pass during the game against the UCF Knights at Bright House Networks Stadium on October 26, 2013 in Orlando, Florida.

Photo: Sam Greenwood, Getty Images

Image 4 of 4

EAST HARTFORD, CT - NOVEMBER 08: Casey Cochran #12 of the Connecticut Huskies throws a pass in the fourth quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Rentschler Field during the game on November 8, 2013 in East Hartford, Connecticut. less

EAST HARTFORD, CT - NOVEMBER 08: Casey Cochran #12 of the Connecticut Huskies throws a pass in the fourth quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Rentschler Field during the game on November 8, 2013 in East ... more

Photo: Jared Wickerham, Getty Images

Kevin Duffy: With Jack out of football, Cochrans growing closer

1 / 4

Back to Gallery

STORRS -- Somewhere in a half-full Gerald J. Ford stadium, there was a seat reserved for Jack Cochran, who had traveled to Dallas to watch his only son, Casey, make his first collegiate start.

And at some point Saturday, probably very early, Jack Cochran left that seat.

"I just walked around (the stadium)," Cochran said. "It's just part of coaching. I'd rather walk around than sit."

Jack is still pacing, only now without the whistle. Hired by Harding this past summer, one of the state's most successful and the most polarizing high school football coach hasn't been on the sidelines since a late September loss to Norwalk. It was reported by Hearst Connecticut Newspapers that Cochran's absence was related to a heart condition, according to Bridgeport superintendent Paul Vallas. Cochran has been mum on his status, and Tuesday he had no comment on a future return or future resignation.

He left it at, "I've been through a real lot."

These past few months, he admits, have been trying. But for Jack, always portrayed as a hyper-obsessive football genius with a wild temper and a 100-hour-a-week devotion to the sport, this past weekend was ... well, nice.

"Honestly, I'm extremely proud of (Casey)," Cochran said. "Not only with football, but he's developed into a great person. And now he gets his chance to play major Division I football. I'm very proud."

What happens next for the Cochrans remains to be seen. It's plausible that Jack never coaches again at Harding -- or anywhere else in the state. He's compiled a 162-25-2 career record with eight state titles, but has a well-documented history of controversy.

It's plausible that he fades from the Connecticut football spotlight while Casey, the most statistically accomplished high school quarterback in state history, takes control of its most visible position.

Right now, Casey is UConn's starter, the third different guy the Huskies have used this season. He'll inevitably enter a competition with Tim Boyle and Chandler Whitmer for the starting gig in 2014, which will ultimately be decided by the program's next head coach. In these final three games under interim coach T.J. Weist, Cochran can distinguish himself from the other two.

Cochran's first start, while far from spectacular, was probably the best by any UConn signal-caller this season. He threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns against Southern Methodist Saturday, tossing a couple of late interceptions with the outcome no longer in question.

His father said he looked "very calm and made some good decisions." Weist said he looked like a leader. Weist added that "football means a lot to Casey," which no doubt played a role in the promotion.

"We've got 104 players," Weist said. "You can't say that football means the same to all 104."

The book on Casey Cochran has always read like this: Tireless worker who maximizes his skill set. He doesn't have a rocket right arm. He's a stout 6-foot-1, 226 pounds. He doesn't run particularly well. But hats off if you can find someone better prepared.

"He's a perfectionist," said Jack, who won a state title at New London High School with Casey at quarterback his freshman year.

While he torched the Connecticut record books at New London and at Masuk, throwing for 10,804 career yards and 112 touchdowns, he would study film with Jack after practice. Together, they'd dissect Casey's performance in practice. They'd break down future opponents. They'd put in work far beyond the norm in high school football and "set the base" for Casey's college habits.

"I'm not saying my dad forced me to do anything like that," Casey said. "I wanted to be the best guy in the state. He set everything out in front of me and gave me the help I needed, and I love him for that."

At UConn, his film study has increased tenfold. Quarterbacks coach Shane Day has helped Cochran reach a level in which he can "sit here and go through film for hours and not get bored with it."

"I mean, I have to put some music on sometimes to not go crazy," Cochran said, laughing. "But (Day) taught me a way to do it where it's not a chore."

That's the other half of the book on Casey Cochran: He doesn't go crazy with football. He's into music, film and acting, Jack said. He's regarded as one of the team's most unique personalities.

During a recent interview with UConn sideline reporter Emily Noonan, Casey was asked what type of entertainer he'd like to be. His response: "Probably in films, maybe a comedian -- I love Adam Sandler."

He paused.

"Or a snake charmer," he dead-panned.

"Casey has his own flavor and he does things his own way," Day said on Noonan's weekly show, "The Blitz." "He's absolutely the greatest to have around."

As Jack put it, Casey knows when to shut it off.

"He has a life outside of football," Jack said, "and I wish I had that earlier on."

Casey doesn't worry about his dad without football. He said Jack can "do any job because he's one of the hardest working people I know." And lately, without the nightly film study, they both say they've developed a stronger relationship outside of the X's and O's.

"It's getting to know him better as a person," Jack said.

"I think we appreciate each other more," added Casey.

For now, Casey appreciates the opportunity he's earned, the honor of playing quarterback at the state university. For now, Jack's future in the sport remains uncertain. He's pacing the stands, just a dad watching his kid.